How long for Deer to get use to new feeder?

Built a feeder with a metal roof and half plastic barrel. put up about two weeks ago and Deer will not go near it. got lots of pics of them looking at it,but no one has gone up to it yet.
Any ideas on how long for them to get acquainted and start eating out of it?

Its like field of dreams. You build it they will come

Corn around it and corn on the edges of it, they'll figure it out.

We spread some corn on the ground in front, I figure another week or so and they will be used to it???

I always had the best luck with getting deer started on trough feeders right after hunting season in February when there was limited food. Put food in and around trough at first to get them used to it.

You may want to put something a little more fragrant in the feeder

molasses?

Dried molasses, apple corn, peanut butter spread on the edge, sweet potatoes, feed peanuts, anything that will get them to stick their head in it.

Those sound like great ideas, thanks

I built one like that and after three months of no deer messing with the feed in it I ran through it with my tractor and went back to pouring it on the ground. Guess my deer are picky

How did you fasten the barrel to the frame?

I've seen feeders sit out along time with deer never getting use to them..

I've always had to pour a bag of corn all the way around a new feeder for 10-15' or so. IF the deer are used to eating corn they'll inch their way to it.

It took my deer 6 months to get used to a spin cast feeder one time. Going to build a trough for the house to put out in February.

They've never used mine I built like that.

just some screws thru a metal plate and through barrel sides

One club I am in has those same type feeders and the deer use them but I'm not sure how long it took them. Another small property I hunt we use spin cast feeders and had pics within a couple of weeks. Recently I put some boss buck gravity feeders on a farm and had does with their nose stuck in it within 24 hours and bucks within 3 days. I was surprised how quick they use the gravity feeders but those were in Kentucky. I don't know if that made any difference but I do know those deer aren't pressured as much as the other 2 places.

It took ours about 2 weeks before they begin eating out our new feeder. What I noticed is that the 4 other sites where we have cameras and corn on the ground had to be completely cleaned out before they went to the feeder. Seems the most critical thing is the height of the trough. We had a feeder one time where deer would never eat the feed. We lowered it 6 inches and all of a sudden they began to use it.

It took the deer I used to feed about two weeks. I had to throw a bunch on the ground to get them to the feeders though.

They like eating from a pile on the ground way more than from any feeder.

Thanks for all the responses. Will see if they are any closer tomorrow or saturday when we check the cameras.

We put out a boss buck feeder last year with the gravity attachment and only had one doe eat out of it all year. This year we have 4 bucks that empty it as fast as we can fill it.

I think you would be better off not using half a drum and just using 2x4 to frame a box to hold your feed. Make it large. I'm sure most deer don't want to stick their head down into something that will block their view. I plan on building one next year and i'm going to make my box 6'x4'x4".

I agree. I thought the half a drum was a good idea.. No deer touched it for months. Tore out the drum and just put plywood and deer were hitting it immediately.

If lumber was treated it will take a month or 6 weeks for the stink of the treatment chemical to get to where it does not bother them. First one like that I built deer did not touch for a month. Next 3 I made I set them outside at the house for 3 weeks before putting them out and deer hit them the first week

I'm surprised raccoons haven't ate all your feed by now.